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Elon Musk is using Boring Company ‘bricks’ for its Las Vegas tunnel project

The Boring Company Las Vegas tunnel construction site. (Credit: LVCC)

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It appears that The Boring Company is employing more innovation than expected in its transport tunnel project in Las Vegas, NV. If videos of the ongoing construction site are any indication, it appears that the tunneling startup is also using Boring Bricks to build a structure near the end of the upcoming loop system’s transport tunnels.

A look at the livestream of the dig site shows that the Boring Company is building an enclosed space a few meters away from one of the transport tunnel’s stations. The structure is still being built, though it is evident that it is made up of lego-like bricks. The bricks are noticeably large too, with sections seemingly being laid by crane.

The Boring Company has not released any updates about its Las Vegas dig site as of late, though the position of the brick-laid structure and its distance from the upcoming loop station suggests that it may be a carport or sorts. This is just speculation for now, of course, though it is still impressive to see The Boring Company using its bricks in an actual project.

The Boring Company Las Vegas tunnel construction site
The Boring Company Las Vegas tunnel construction site. (Credit: LVCC)

The idea for The Boring Company’s “Boring Bricks” was initially suggested by Elon Musk almost two years ago. Musk fondly described the bricks as “merch” when he first mentioned them, though he already noted then that the blocks would be lego-like, interlocking units that are rated for California seismic loads. Images of the Boring Co’s Boring Bricks were shared during the tunneling startup’s information session later that year.

The Boring Bricks are a crucial part of the Boring Co’s efforts to make tunneling faster and more efficient. The bricks themselves are made from tunneling rock, which means that the startup’s tunnels will have very little waste. Musk even responded positively to the idea of Boring Bricks being used to construct affordable housing units, which should be possible considering that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO quoted a low price of just 10 cents per brick.

Yet despite these details about the Boring Bricks, including permits for an actual store, The Boring Company has been quite silent about its affordable ultra-tough bricks for some time now. That is, of course, until it became evident that the blocks are seemingly being used in the Las Vegas Convention Center loop system, which is currently having its second tunnel built.

From the images of the new Boring Bricks, it seems like the lego-like blocks have gone through some design changes over the years. While their interlocking feature is still present, the bricks themselves have gotten much larger. This should come with some benefits and challenges. For one, the bricks’ larger size would allow projects to be completed faster, but they would likely require more manpower or the use of heavy equipment.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.

Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:

“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”

This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.

$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.

While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.

Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.

Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.

Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.

Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.

This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”

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Tesla starts removing outright Full Self-Driving purchase option at time of order

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.

The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.

Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.

The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:

This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.

It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.

In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.

There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.

Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.

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Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature not available on typical Model Ys

These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.

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Credit: David Moss | X

Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature that is not available on typical Model Ys that people like you and me bring home after we buy them. The feature is something that many have been wanting for years, especially after the company adopted a vision-only approach to self-driving.

After Tesla launched driverless Robotaxi rides to the public earlier this week in Austin, people have been traveling to the Lone Star State in an effort to hopefully snag a ride from one of the few vehicles in the fleet that are now no longer required to have Safety Monitors present.

BREAKING: Tesla launches public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no Safety Monitor

Although only a few of those completely driverless rides are available, there have been some new things seen on these cars that are additions from regular Model Ys, including the presence of one new feature: camera washers.

With the Model Y, there has been a front camera washer, but the other exterior “eyes” have been void of any solution for this. For now, owners are required to clean them manually.

In Austin, Tesla is doing things differently. It is now utilizing camera washers on the side repeater and rear bumper cameras, which will keep the cameras clean and keep operation as smooth and as uninterrupted as possible:

These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.

This is the first time we are seeing them, so it seems as if Safety Monitors might have been responsible for keeping the lenses clean and unobstructed previously.

However, as Tesla transitions to a fully autonomous self-driving suite and Robotaxi expands to more vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet, it needed to find a way to clean the cameras without any manual intervention, at least for a short period, until they can return for interior and exterior washing.

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